Washington, United States. The death toll from a chemical tank rupture at a plant in Washington state climbed to 11 on Saturday after crews recovered the bodies of all nine missing people, authorities said.
Fatalities confirmed
Two fatalities had been confirmed after the tank containing “white liquor,” a chemical solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in making paper pulp, imploded at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility on Tuesday.
Search and recovery
The search for the missing continued through the week as recovery crews worked through debris in indoor areas and flew drones over the perimeter of the site, said Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue deputy chief Kurt Stitch.
Environmental impact
The ruptured tank contained about 900,000 gallons, or 3.4 million liters, of white liquor. Officials said tests confirmed contamination entered the nearby Columbia River, although no “negative health impacts” had been detected on air quality or the city of Longview’s drinking water.
Company background
Nippon Paper Industries, Japan’s second-biggest paper manufacturer by sales, acquired the Longview plant from Seattle-based timber company Weyerhaeuser for $225 million and established the wholly owned subsidiary Nippon Dynawave Packaging in 2016.